The Faith, Love and Politics of Raising Boys to Men

Some of you might remember this from “Scary Mommy? Boo!” – well, hang on because I have something truly amazing. Please read through to the end.

“SCARY MOMMY has a pretty scary sense of humor. When one son, whom we call “Bear” got in the car after soccer practice all cold and shivering, I asked him,” What’s the saddest sight in the whole wide world?”

“I don’t know. Your cooking?” he answered. I almost forgot my joke.

“A hairless bear shivering with cold,” I answered.

Now readers,

you need

to visualize that

before you can truly appreciate the SCARY MOMMY humor.”

I was right!

There really is nothing sadder in the world

than a hairless bear

shivering with cold

if you group all the sadder-in-the-world things that are truly freaky, scary funny

but not truly sad

like

a newborn baby who needs its stomach, which is pushed up into its lung area, put back

or the loss of life, homes, andjobs in Manilla after tropical cyclones wreaked havoc,

or the loneliness and hopelessness without God

Is it not wonderful that The Joy of the Lord is our Strength!(Neh 8:10) That joy and laughter strengthen! God is so detail oriented that He not only invented awe-inspiring joy, but tiny pockets of joy, release valve joy, decreasing pressure and stress – the invention of unusual places to find moments of laughter that cause joyfulness to bubble up inside, bubbling into a smile, a funny, joyful moment- an indecisive squirrel in the middle of the road, a headless turtle, or a collie carrying the neighbor’s Christmas wreathes – and – yes, even in a hairless bear shivering with cold.

I pray you find joy and laughter today, not just in the sentimental, but in the unexpected. What are some unusual places you have found a burst of laughter and a spot of joy?